Alison Redford: The photo, posted to Alberta Premier Alison Redford's Facebook page , shows Hadfield posing with a kid wearing a full astronaut costume, along with Redford, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and other children, according to Huffington Post and It has been said that Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has inspired a generation of future space pioneers, and a photo taken at Calgary Stampede breakfast adds fuel to the claim. "The world's cutest astronaut," says part of the caption of the photo. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

foreclosure: There are variations of how a foreclosure happens, but generally it is when your bank or lender gets a court order to take the property away from you for lack of loan repayment then sell the property at a public auction, according to The Chronicle Herald and Foreclosure is a scary word, and it should be. It signifies the loss of control of your home or business, despite your best efforts and regardless of the consequences to you or your family. There are ways to avoid a foreclosure, so lets look at some of the choices which may be available to you. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Subcontractor Victoria Shipyards: Its going to create more work for us, thats a good thing, George MacPherson, president of the Shipyard General Workers Federation, said Thursday. , according to Times Colonist. Subcontractor Victoria Shipyards and its partner companies have been carrying out submarine work for Babcock. West Coast shipyard workers, including about 200 in Esquimalt, are celebrating a $531-million, five-year contract extension for maintaining and upgrading Canadas submarines. The extension is for Babcock Canada Inc. on its initial 2008 contract to refit and maintain Canadas Victoria-class submarines. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Edward Snowden: LA PAZ/CARACAS - Bolivia offered asylum on Saturday to former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden, joining leftist allies Venezuela and Nicaragua in defiance of Washington, which is demanding his arrest for divulging details of secret U.S. surveillance programs. , according to Reuters. Bolivian President Evo Morales had said earlier this week that he would consider granting asylum to Snowden. But he took a harder line on Saturday, angered that some European countries banned his plane from their airspace this week on suspicion it carried Snowden. By Daniel Ramos and Daniel Wallis Snowden, 30, is believed to be holed up in the transit area of Moscow's Sheremetyevo international airport and has been trying to find a country that would take him since he landed from Hong Kong on June 23. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

negative income tax: Many of you were intrigued by one possible answer we explored in Herald Opinions last weekend replacing all or most of our welfare and income-support programs with a negative income tax, or NIT, according to The Chronicle Herald. As last weeks articles by former NDP leader Ed Broadbent and Conservative Senator Hugh Segal demonstrated, the NIT has backers across the political spectrum. In the 1970s, both the Trudeau government in Ottawa and the Nixon administration in Washington which didnt see eye to eye on much else were taken with the NIT idea and set up pilot projects in Manitoba, New Jersey, Denver and Seattle to test whether it would prompt people to reduce their paid employment. Except for mothers staying home longer with small children and teens staying to finish high school, it didnt have much impact on working choices and How can we do a better job of reducing poverty without a maze of bureaucracy and without lodging people in a welfare trap? An NIT is a guarantee that anyone who falls below a specified income will receive payments through the tax system, just as anyone who earns more than the basic and family exemptions generally expects to pay tax. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Nicolas Maduro: Morales' offer came after two other leftist Latin American leaders - Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro and Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega - also said they would help the U.S. fugitive, who is believed to be holed up in the transit area of a Moscow international airport, according to Reuters and LA PAZ - Bolivian President Evo Morales said on Saturday he would grant asylum, if requested, to former U.S. intelligence agency contractor Edward Snowden. Reporting by Daniel Ramos; Writing by Louise Egan; Editing by Eric Beech (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Edward Snowden: Snowden, who is believed to be holed up in the transit area of an airport in Moscow, has petitioned several countries to avoid capture by Washington, according to The Star. In Nicaragua, Ortega said he was willing to make the same offer if circumstances allow it and MANAGUA, NICARAGUA Presidents Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela said Friday they were willing to grant asylum to NSA leaker Edward Snowden . I have decided to offer humanitarian asylum to the young American, Edward Snowden, so that in the fatherland of Simon Bolivar and Hugo Chavez, he can come and live away from the imperial North American persecution, Maduro told a televised parade marking Venezuelas independence day. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Nicolas Maduro: But there were no immediate signs that efforts were underway to bring him to either nation after Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela and Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua made their offers during separate speeches in their home countries Friday, according to The Star. Snowden, who is being sought by the United States, has asked for asylum in more than 20 countries, including Nicaragua and Venezuela. Many another nations have turned him down and CARACAS, VENEZUELA The quest by NSA leaker Edward Snowden for a safe haven has taken a turn toward Latin America, with offers for asylum coming from the leftist presidents of Nicaragua and Venezuela . The offers came one day after leftist South American leaders gathered to denounce the rerouting of Bolivian President Evo Morales plane over Europe amid reports that the fugitive American was aboard. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Deepan Budlakoti: Deepan Budlakoti, 23, has lived his entire life in Canada, but for months he has been caught in what he calls a bureaucratic nightmare after the Canadian government revoked his passport and issued a deportation order, according to CTV. I dont know no one there, I have no family there. I have no nothing there, he told News and A Canadian-born man is fighting to stay in the country as he faces the prospect of deportation to India by the Canadian government after serving time for weapons and drug trafficking. Budlakoti could be sent to India a country hes never set foot in. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Calgary Stampede: The annual parade Friday drew hundreds of thousands of people to the downtown core, people are once again festooned in cowboy hats, boots and jeans and families flock to free Stampede breakfasts. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. Just two weeks after 75,000 people were evacuated from their homes due to massive flooding from both the Elbow and Bow Rivers in Calgary and the total decimation in the town of High River, 60 kilometres to the south, there's a fragility to the area. CALGARY - All the outward trappings are there but there is something missing from the 2013 Calgary Stampede. But the annual cowboy festival is lacking the usual political partisanship that has traditionally been tantamount to the so-called "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.